As part of the first phase of restoration at Arroyo Burro, members of the California Conservation Corps have cleared existing vegetation from the project site, specifically in the vicinity of Cliff Drive near Las Positas Road. The site preparation is the first stage required to restore Mesa Creek, currently flowing underground in a pipe and through a concrete culvert leading to Arroyo Burro Estuary. Full construction will begin in June.

Located at the end of the Arroyo Burro Beach parking area and within the Douglas Family Preserve (DFP), the project will restore coastal estuarine, riparian and coastal sage scrub habitats and improve water quality in Mesa Creek, the estuary and at Arroyo Burro Beach.� The project involves removing a concrete culvert to daylight Mesa Creek, stabilization of creek banks and new trails and a footbridge to the DFP. Non-native plants will be removed and 5,000 native plants and trees planted. The project also involves expanding the estuary to benefit the endangered Tidewater Goby and fish passage enhancements to benefit the endangered Steelhead Trout.

Tim Burgess and Autumn McKee have joined the Creeks Division as Water Resource Specialists. As part of the Enforcement Program, Tim and Autumn will respond to reports of illegal discharge and work with local businesses including the automotive industry and restaurants to encourage clean water practices.

To report a discharge or illegal dumping into storm drains�or creeks call 805-897-2688

Urban runoff comes from a number of common residential and commercial activities such as runoff from landscape irrigation, street car washing, and parking lot and sidewalk washing.� Bacterial pollutants come from soil, pet, wild animal and bird feces, garbage and green waste, among other sources.

Located in the Arroyo Burro and Mission Creek Watersheds, the recently completed water quality improvement project diverts urban runoff from the Hope Avenue and Haley Street storm drains. Funded primarily by a $600,000 Clean Beaches Initiative grant from the State Water Resources Control Board, as well as by hotel visitors through Measure B, the diversion systems� send polluted water to the sanitary sewer system for treatment�at the El Estero Wastewater Treatment Facility.� The projects�are designed for dry weather flows and both sites will operate from April 1 to October 31 each year, pending the end and start of the winter rains.

In it's regular meeting on April 26, 2006 the Creeks Committee will be discussing the restoration of Arroyo Burro in conjunction with the proposed Veronica Meadows Residential development. Meetings are held at the David Gephard Public Meeting Room, 630 Garden Street at 5:30p.m. The agenda will be available at the Creeks Division website on April 21, 2006.

As part of a program called "Our Water Our World," the Creeks Division partners with local nurseries and hardware stores to make less toxic products more available to consumers. In the City of Santa Barbara, Agri-Turf Supplies, Inc., 7-Day Nursery, La Sumida Nursery and Santa Barbara Home Improvement participate in the program. These stores have agreed to provide fast sheets and eye-catching shelf labels to make it easy for you to choose a less-toxic product.